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There are currently 24 member reviews
for Bitter River
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Diane C. (Nashville, TN)
Whole Lotta Twisted Going-ons
Bell is as tough as the mountains that cradle the small town of Acker's Gap, where she serves as County Prosecutor. Hell, there sure is a lot of criminal activity in that place! You got a young girl murdered, some crazy guy shooting an elderly lady, and terrorist blowing up the oldest building in town. This is in addition to the ordinary business of sneaky love trysts, troubled families, and missing sisters. Folks trust their sharp-as-a-nettle prosecutor to sort it all out. And she does, in the colorful way of a mountain woman who might be a bit excessive with her metaphors and similes, but never with her big ol' generous heart.
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Nancy C. (Newton, KS)
Bitter River
Julia Keller writes a mesmerizing murder, suspense novel that carries the reader along at a fast pace; almost like it would be if floating down the Bitter River. The currents and eddies of this novel take us into the small town of Acker's Gulch, West Virginia. The team of Bell, the county prosecutor, and Nick, the sheriff, are faced with the murder of a young, pregnant high school girl. Keller's visual writing style makes the town and her characters come alive for the reader. I encourage you to pick up this great murder mystery - you will have trouble putting down.
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P J. (Columbia, SC)
Bitter River
Initially I worried this book would be too predictable but was quickly hooked on the author's writing style. Her use of such vivid descriptions quickly grabbed my interest and made me want to keep reading. Julia Keller weaves a mystery reminiscent of a feminine James Patterson. I look forward to reading her first book.
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Anne G. (Byram, MS)
Even small towns can have big mysteries
Bell Elkins, the county prosecuting attorney, is always reminding herself that "Everyone in this town is related to everyone else". A tragedy befalling one person or family will cause ripples that involve most of the people in the small town of Acker's Gap, WV. Finding a submerged car containing a body in Bitter River begins the unfolding of a small town tragedy that involves Bell and many of her friends. The initial murder is not resolved before more criminal acts are committed. Ms. Keller portrays strong characterizations, complex family relationships, small town politics, mystery, and a bit of romance with a deft hand. Although this is the second book in what is hoped will be a continuing series featuring Bell Elkins, it is not absolutely necessary to read the first one . It is hoped, however, there will be a third novel to resolve some of Bell's family problems, and the challenges in the novel's non-traditional romance.
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Dawn Z. (Canton, MI)
Formulaic
This book was okay, but it followed the typical mystery/thriller formula. I enjoyed the descriptions of Acker's Gap, though, and the characters were pretty well-developed.
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Carol E. (Stone Mountain, GA)
Bitter River
Bitter River by Julia Keller captured my interest at the beginning of the book. The main storyline, while not unique, was presented in an attention-grabbing way. There was a diverse, if a bit large, cast of characters, and some of their reasons for being were not fully developed. A few of them were one dimensional and not enough of their backgrounds and personalities were revealed. Had that been done it would have enabled me to have more of an emotional connection to the characters. Prosecutor Bell Elkins, the main character, struck me as being a bit unreasonably cold and angry with almost everyone; however, she and Sheriff Fogelsong seemed to have a close friendship.
Ms. Keller moved the story along fairly well and was generally entertaining. But her overuse of similes and metaphors created long, run-on sentences and made me, at times, lose sense of the narrative. These factors caused me not to enjoy as much a book that has the potential to be an intriguing and enjoyable read.
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Kristen K. (Atlanta, GA)
Good Characters But Body Count High
I enjoyed reading this mystery that takes place in a small town in West Virginia. The main characters are complex and I found myself interested in their past and futures. I did not figure out the mystery until the end. The one feature I did not like about this book was the inclusion of a subplot involving the CIA and a terrorist. I believe the author should have trusted the small town she created and its inhabitants to keep the reader interested instead of throwing in this subplot and killing lots of extra people. I probably wouldn't recommend this to my book club--it seems more like a summer beach read.
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